William Saliba put in another strong individual performance on his loan spell as OGC Nice beat Nimes Olympique on Wednesday night.

William Saliba kicks the ball for OGC Nice against Lens on 23/01/2021. (Photo by Federico Pestellini / Panoramic)
William Saliba kicks the ball for OGC Nice against Lens on 23/01/2021. (Photo by Federico Pestellini / Panoramic)

Starting at centre-back against Nimes on Wednesday night, William Saliba had a busy but ultimately very positive performance.

The defender made four clearances, blocked three shots, made five interceptions and one tackle without being dribbled past once. He won all three of his duels and completed 95% of his passes, proving his worth on and off the ball. Nice won the match 2-1.

The game represented Saliba’s 12th in a row without being dribbled past. Though he very much avoids diving into tackles, preferring to make interceptions and blocks, he never lets an opponent pass him when he attempts one.

Saliba hasn’t been without flaws on his loan spell. He misplaced an ambitious pass leading to an equaliser in the win over Rennes, and he seems a little slow to react to rebounds from what I’ve seen.

But for the most part, he’s proving he could play a part for Arsenal next season. He’s quickly shaken off the rustiness of his absence from senior football to make himself undroppable with Nice, which is exactly what he needed to do.